


Only Time Will Tell

by khrome



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Underfell (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Underswap (Undertale), Angst, Anxiety, Babybones (Undertale), Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Healing, I was hit with inspiration, Mental Health Issues, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, They deserve good things, Time Travel, Underfell Papyrus (Undertale), Underfell Sans (Undertale), baby underfell bone bros, i love underfell fluff so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 17:55:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16917567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/khrome/pseuds/khrome
Summary: Edge time travels and comes face-to-face with his older brother Red as a child. What can he possibly say to a child trapped in Underfell?





	Only Time Will Tell

**Author's Note:**

> This was heavily inspired by @zwagyzonk on Tumblr (a currently dying platform)  
> zwagy does these amazing doodles and pictures of the Underfell bros as babybones and it gives me FEELINGS. That's why this ended up longer than I thought it would... Here's the art that inspired this: https://zwagyzonk.tumblr.com/post/180895792005  
> I was also listening to this song while writing- the video is really on point for this particular brand of underfell angst.  
> https://youtu.be/DrQRS40OKNE

When Red told him, they had discovered a way to use the void to travel back in time, of course he didn’t believe a word of it. Impossible and foolish to even think that an individual could use some old machinery to travel through the past. As if traveling between alternate universes was enough to wrap his mind around, now he was expected to fully accept that time travel was possible? Feh.

Not complete travel, one sans had corrected. Just a little bit of travel. Like existing in a moment from the future. Bending the loop of time just enough so that two parts of the line met before splitting into opposing directions once again. Like pulling a rubber band till each side touches. At least, that’s how Blue managed to explain it to him.

Still. Foolish to think it would be of any use. Other sans had surmised that even if they could only travel to one moment for a little while, it would be impossible to change the course of events by much. The nature of the void prevented things from continuing too far from set point of divergences. It would take an immense amount of determination, souls, or cosmic powers to change the course of events already written. Determination like that possessed by certain children who created certain histories that shaped a society of monsters who only know to kill or be killed.

Essentially, it wasn’t time travel. More like advanced deja-vu.

“Very funny Sans.”

“ay boss i don’t make tha rules. this ‘s all jus theories anyway. none ’a the others are really jonesin ta try it out. even those eehh... swapfell assholes- they say they don’t got nothin they would wanna change.” Red grinned lazily while pulling out his chair from the kitchen table. It scraped unpleasantly, Edge cringes.

“Sans damnit what have I told you about double-negatives??? Its abhorrent.”

“heh. i didn’t know ya was so grammar _positive_ boss.”

“Why do I even try. Who even let this happen.” Edge huffs into his cup of tea. It’s raining outside on the surface.

Rain is a sensation Edge finds comforting, and still a tad unnerving. Even after all these years living Up Top. Tea remedies this, of course.

“heheh aw c’mon ya know ya love me.” Red leans into the fluff of his hoody, yawning.

“An unfortunate character flaw I assure you.”

“heh… well. next time we meet up wit all tha others we’ll… eh i dunno. try it out on a dummy or somethin.”

Edge hums noncommittally. The thought of traveling back to any point in his past leaves a distinct taste in his mouth. Sipping his tea once more, Edge glances over the rim of his cup and notices Red has fallen asleep sitting up. Again.

Red would deny it if Edge told him he could hear him up late last night. Red didn’t like to worry Edge with his sleep schedule or nightmares, despite Edge’s attempts at ‘correcting’ things.

Edge would argue that he is simply annoyed that Red won’t be quiet at night, and not because he is genuinely concerned for his brother’s wellbeing.

Years on the surface has turned them soft Edge thinks to himself, a small smile crossing his maw before swiftly being drowned in his tea.

Things have gotten unimaginably better for them.

And yet.

Edge looks again to his brother across the table.

Red must have had a particularly rough night to have those dark bags. Lines around his sockets and small stress scratches in his hands. A pale grey tint to his bones, but nothing like what they came up here with. He checks Red, glancing briefly at his one HP stat. Edge reminds himself to cook more healing magic into Red’s food this week.

How did such a frail monster like his brother ever manage to raise him in the Underground.

When did Edge ever fully rely on Red? There must have been a time when their lives depended on it.

Edge tries to remember anything before their time at the Labs. But…

Perhaps he was too young.

It was a long time ago, after all.

 

Ah, it’s stopped raining.

 

* * *

 

“you sure about this edgelord? i mean, i’m flattered you came to me in secret for a private request but surely your brother would have something to say about our tryst-” Classic Sans winked, nudging the air.

“Oh can it you sack of hot-dogs that is not at all the nature of this meeting!!! If I knew exactly what I was looking for I wouldn’t have come within 100 yards of someone with such a terrible taste in humor.” Edge put every ounce of glare into his scowl, but Classic knew better by now.

“yeah yeah alright alright your secret whereabouts are safe with me edgy mcgee. so, care to share why you came to me for advice?”

“Hm. Yes, well… I don’t doubt you are familiar with Sa- …With Red’s nightmare problems. As I am sure your own Papyrus has emotionally manipulated you into therapy by now-“

“hey hey what the hell that’s not what he di-”

“Don’t try to fool me whelp, I know how Papyrus works and that beacon of sunshine has you wrapped around his pinkie phalange.” Edge smirks, delighting in the small expression of doubt on the other San’s face. Classic leans back into his desk chair, wiping a bullet of sweat on his sleeve.

“yeah okay then… so what does that have to do with me? you having trouble getting red to take his meds or something?”

“You and my brother have… Similar histories. I need to know how old he was before the Labs. What year was it before we were picked up by Gaster?” Edge pauses, turning his glare to the side. He knows the other Sans is just as sharp as Red, he knows the gears are turning and not even a second after he asks the other Sans knows what he’s planning.

“so you’re volunteering huh?”

“Oh just answer the question garbage man.”

“i’m just curious is all! what makes edgelord decide to stick his neck out for the sake of scientific exploration?” Classic chuckles and spins around in his desk chair.

“I’m not doing anything for the sake of science I can assure you. Everything the terrible Papyrus does is for his own benefit! Just tell me what I need to do so I can leave this conversation already.”

“first, you know he’s not going to like this right? you can’t possibly expect us to let you be the one to volunteer to test this new technology without Red’s knowledge.” The other sans scratches at his skull, apparently calculating the risk/reward of letting Red’s little bro go back in time for… what, an hour max? It won’t change any timelines and no damage can be done to anyone in the past… Only Edge would need to watch himself. Real injuries will follow him back.

Edge sighed. “Listen… I’ve thought a lot about this… Rare opportunity.” Edge walked over to Classic’s desk and leaned back against it. Leveling his gaze and attempting to lessen his natural scowl.

“I need to see something for myself. I won’t be in a dangerous area of our Snowdin and I’ll just return if I cannot find what I’m looking for.”

“i really can’t help you if you’re trying to keep red from knowing about it. that guy would kick my metaphorical ass if i was responsible for your tomfuckery.”

Classic taps his skull in thought. Edge sighs.

“Listen. It’s fine. It’s not of huge importance and it probably wouldn’t-”

“20XX!” Sans exclaims, swinging his short legs from his desk chair and on to the floor.

“What?”

“20XX. That’s the year you’re looking for.”

 

* * *

 

“i don’t fuckin like it.” Red nearly growled.

The stocky skeleton had been bristling anxiously for the past 3 hours of preparation. Edge rolled his eyelights from where he stood in the center of a stall-like machine. Their other counterparts talked amongst themselves while triple-checking the monitors and stats before initiating the startup protocol. Edge stood perfectly still, dressed up in his old Royal Guard uniform just in case he was noticed and needed to blend into Underfell’s past. Red eyed the outfit with distain. He hated the way it looked on Edge now. An air of authority and danger exuding from every seam, a warning to predators. Red liked it better nowadays when Edge wore turtleneck sweaters and soft leather, normal clothes for normal lives.

“boss… i mean really what do you even wanna see from your past?? there ain’t nothin worth lookin at back there ya know that. jus let me go and i’ll come back in a couple ‘a minutes and-”

“Sans!” Edge shouted before quieting his voice. “Calm yourself for fucks sake. I’m the more skilled monster out of all of us, wouldn’t you agree? If any one of us are going to test this infernal contraption it may as well be me. The statistically stronger and more resilient Papyrus!”

Red’s face scrunched even more as sweat began to collect over his skull. “b-but boss i-”

“No buts Sans! Now cease your whining and puppy-dog eyeing.” Edge turned away from Red so the others could attach some probes to the back of his skull. It had taken about a week to fully convince Red not to destroy the newly built time machine out of fear. Red knew the numbers, he knew it would be safe, but the thought of Papyrus going back to Snowdin… Going back to that world they left behind, that mindset all monsters had, kill or be killed. It made Red’s soul churn.

“Alright Fuckers This Show Is Ready To Go.” Underswap Papyrus mumbled after placing the last probe and stepping back from the machine. Stretch and Blue had helped build the machine, and both decided to be there for the testing just in case anything went awry, and they needed extra hands.

“yep. everything is ready. edgelord, you good? any last-minute requests or cowardly backing-outs?” Classic teased, hands hovering above the control panels surface.

“Ha, you wish! The Great and Terrible Papyrus is ready for any challenge! How long did you say I have?”

“About An Hour Or So Dude. Then You’ll Automatically Be Drawn Back To Your Original Time. We Can’t Give You Much More Than That.”

“b-but yer not really stayin the whole hour are ya? boss?”

“As if I could leave you by yourself for longer than a single day!!! Who else will put up with your shit?? Just stay upstairs in the Livingroom with Blue and wait till I get back. You’ll get too nervous standing down here waiting for me. Just don’t cause trouble while I’m gone!

Red’s grin twitched. “yeah no prob boss… just… be careful an stuff.”

“Of course, Sans.” Edge shoots him a fond smile before the others have a chance to notice.

Edge watched Red reluctantly retreat upstairs, most likely just to stand outside the door and listen. Good; Edge thought. He didn’t want Red to see his own nervousness.

“okay now remember you’ve got a return device strapped to your wrist, if you decide to come back before it pulls you, just hit the button and you’ll start the process remotely.”

“It’s A Pretty _Handy_ Device.”

“think you can _hand_ le it?”

Stretch and Classic’s chuckling droned on at just the right frequency to piss Edge off.

“For fucks sake just do it already so I can get away from you two imbeciles!!!”

Edge could hear buttons clicking and gears grinding. The sound of electrical current filled the air and the magic radiating off the machinery was palpable.

He glanced at Classic, noticing that his mandible was moving but no sound was coming out. Turning to Stretch he saw the same thing. He couldn’t hear either of them.

“What? What did you sa-” Edge yelled out.

Suddenly the world fell away into darkness. Small pinpricks of light shone brightly all around him, swirling slowly at first before speeding up into a blur of lights against the darkness of the void. It was like stars rotating off their axis’. Light and color swirling till Edge felt dizzy and closed his sockets tight. For a moment it was like Edge’s soul was the only thing that existed. Before he could dwell on the inescapable feeling of loneliness, it was gone, and there was ground underneath his feet. Solid ground and snow.

Edge uses all his training to keep calm. Steeling himself with a few breathes of cold air, he takes stock of his position before opening his sockets.

Laid out before him is Snowdin Forest. The old Snowdin. The one from Underfell where he grew up. It reeks of dust and ice flow, trees sodden with snowfall surround the area, creating a barrier from the snow and wind that rages above. For a split-second edge thinks he is back underground in the current time, simply wandering around in the now-empty underground devoid of trapped monsters. Until he sees lights. Just ahead is the town, still underground and full of volatile monsters. But Edge didn’t come back here to see that place.

Edge turned towards the woods. Approximately a mile in to this part of the forest, if he was told correctly… Everything feels different as he continues to trek deeper into the forest. The trees become thicker and the snow more like ice. Edge doesn’t remember this part of the woods, despite having patrolled the area countless times in the past- or really, in the future.

Edge feels the air change once more and begins to quiet his footfalls. He needs to be stealthy if he wants this to find who he’s looking for.

There. In a small snow-filled clearing barely noticeable.

A large tree, much older than the rest, tall with roots that protrude from the ground. A small light glowing amidst the white and grey of the snow.

As Edge approaches he takes note of how well hidden the camp is; unless you knew where to look one would pass it by without a second thought.

Beneath the twisted roots of the tree, a small hovel had been carved out of the frozen ground. About two feet underneath, surrounded by roots and carefully laid stones, a stockpile of possessions was stored next to a piece of tin with candles slowly melting down onto it. Edge continued to lean down and peer into the hiding place, seems like no one was home, but the candles were still lit.

That’s when he noticed; a small red bundle of fabric, all too familiar and calling to him. Edge reached out-

A bone attack whizzed out from behind a nearby tree and caught Edge on his humerus. He jolted upright, confused as to how someone managed to sneak up on him and land such a measly 1pt attack…

Oh.

Edge’s sockets widened in realization, turning to face the trees. He reminded himself to be careful about the situation. He wanted to see them. He wanted to see…

“Show yourself.” Edge demanded with a careful amount of authority.

The wind howling above them filled the tense silence.

“Come out and I promise there won’t be any fighting.”

No answer. Untrusting.

Well, Edge can always pull his guard card.

“If you fail to show yourself, I have the right under mandate of the Royal Guard to commandeer any possessions hidden in this territory. If you cooperate no harm will come to y-”

“what do you want!!!” A small voice yelled out into the frozen air. A child voice trying very hard to sound threatening and dangerous. Like a small animal hissing despite its stature.

“I want to speak with the owner of the red fabric in this hole.” Edge ventures, keeping up the façade despite his soul beat quickening when he hears footsteps crunch forward in the snow.

A rounded skull pops out from behind a tree, barely 3 feet tall. His tiny phalanges are glowing red with defensive magic, his expression riddled with poorly hidden emotions, eyelights pinpricks in his currently unscarred skull.

“don’t you t-touch that!!! t-that’s mine! i-i-i- need that and you aren’t allowed ta touch it!” The tiny skeleton shuffled out from his safe spot, his body language flip-flopping between a fighting stance and an attempt to bolt for his hole in the tree.

“I won’t touch it.” Edge carefully raises his gloved hands, trying his best to make the child believe he wasn’t a threat.

“y-you step away f-from my stuff! i ain’t playin!! i know how to fight and i ain’t s-scared of you!” The child sidesteps toward the tree as Edge backs away from it.

“What is your name?”

“t-that’s nun of y-your business!!”

“Is your name Sans?”

Edge already knew the answer. The child freezes where he stands. Fear flashes across San’s face and he stutters out a begging plea.

“p-please i dunno who y-you are but d-don’t hurt my brother-” San’s shakes so hard Edge can hear his bones rattle.

“It’s okay Sans. Really, It’s okay. I’m not here to hurt you, or your brother.” Edge considers kneeling down but decides too much movement may spook the young Sans too much to talk properly.

Sans is so small, Edge thinks to himself disbelievingly. His coat is two sizes too big for him, coming down to brush the old sneakers on his feet. The rubber worn down to holes in his soles. Sans’ striped shirt is worn and dull, stretched out and dirty. As rare as children are in Underfell, it’s a harsh and unforgiving fact that most of them looked similarly disheveled and abandoned. Orphans just trying to survive.

“Where is your brother?” Edge questions carefully, hands still raised.

Sans’ eyelights flick to the tree for just a moment before he finally begins to move toward it. Sans bolts toward the hovel, all hesitation forgotten. He crawls his upper half inside, huffing and scrabbling, little feet still planted in the snow outside. Edge watches carefully.

When Sans emerges, he has the red fabric bundle clutched to his chest beneath his coat. His eyelights flash brightly with determination as he addresses Edge.

“you won’t hurt my brother or i’ll kill you.” He glares with all his might as Edge drops his hands.

“I promise Sans. I’m not here to hurt either of you. I just…” Edge’s voice falters for a moment. Sans, ever observant even as a child, catches it. Eyeing Edge suspiciously.

“I just wanted to see how you are surviving out here. This place…” Edge motions toward the direction of Snowdin Town. “This place is horrible. It’s not suitable for anyone to live like this. Living in fear and violence… Children like yourself should never be in this kind of situation. It’s… Unfair.”

It’s Underfell. That’s just how it is in this world, Edge knows that. But from what he’s learned and how he’s changed… He prefers the soft squishy world above them. A world where children get to be children, and no one is killing to protect their own lives.

Sans squints and looks at Edge again; the royal guard uniform seems to be the biggest thing about Edge’s appearance that screams danger to Sans. When his eye glance over the royal crest on Edge’s armor, Sans scowls.

The bundle of fabric makes a noise.

“Wehh-!”

“ah! n-no paps… shhh shh shhhh…” Sans brings the bundle down from his chest into her arms, rocking back and forth gently. Edge watches in awe- the fabric- he thought it was the scarf but-

“Wehhh!! Mhhmrr-” The tiny babybones wrapped securely in the scarf begins to protest being woken up from his nap. Sans looks stressed and continues to try and quiet the babybones.

“Maybe he’s hungry.” Edge suggests.

Sans’ face lights up for a moment before he hastily reaches into his coat pocket and pulls from it half of a cinnamon bunny pastry. It looks days old, and crumbles in his hand. He begins to break off small pieces and feed them to the squirming little bones.

Edge realizes that Sans has let down his guard. He decides to take the opportunity to slowly sit down on the ground where he was standing. Sans watches him the whole way down before refocusing on his little brother.

They sit there for mere minutes listening to the small barely noticeable noise of crumbling pastry being consumed until it’s all gone, and the little bones is quiet once more.

“…who are you really?” Sans asks in a voice so small, so hopeful.

Edge smiles. His sockets crinkle at their corners. Looking down at the babybones in Sans’ arms, then back to face him.

“I’m your brother, Sans. I’m… I’m from a long time in the future after you are all grown up.”

Sans’ sockets widen, and he looks down between his little brother and the older skeleton in front if him. They do look the same but…

“what happened to your face?”

Edge chuckles. It’s not an uncommon question, kids ask him about the scar all the time.

“why wasn’t i there to protect you?”

Edge feels the smile fall off his face. Sans is looking down at his brother cradled in his arms. Big fat tears threaten to slide down his little skull. Edge feels his soul constrict harshly.

“Sans- look at me it’s okay. It’s okay… I was protecting _you_ when this happened to me.”

Sans sniffled pathetically. Stars above what Edge would do to get these kids out of the cold right this second. The injustice of his brother’s childhood brings pain to his soul. The same kind of pain he felt as a child when he defended Sans and got his scar. From that day forward Papyrus had vowed to make sure Sans would never have to scrounge and degrade himself to make ends meet for them. That flame of determination still rages in his soul.

“You… In the future, you teach me how to be a strong monster, and we watch out for each other.” Edge explains to the young bones.

“We are a team and all of the Underground trembled before us… Then after that we made it to the surface together.”

“you made it to the surface??” Sans exclaimed, much louder than he probably intended. Edge chuckles warmly.

“Yes, we all make it there. You, your little brother, your friends… We all survive to feel the sun and breath the air.” Edge finds himself getting far too sentimental in the moment, turning for a brief second to clear his voice.

“are you… happy? on the surface?” Sans asks timidly. “am i happy?”

Edge wants to say yes. That Sans is the happiest and healthiest he’s ever been, safe on the surface with his friends and family. He knows the truth of the matter is that Sans experienced things he can barely talk about much less heal from. It was a long road to get where they are, and Sans has born the burden of paving the path. Edge opens his mandible to speak but stops when his bones go numb.

Edge can feel his soul pulling outward, like his entire being is looking over the precipice of a cliff, barely teetering on the line of existence.

“I have to go now Sans. My time here is coming to an end.”

“wha… what? already? b-but i still have questions- i-…”

Edge carefully wraps his arms around Sans and his own, babybones self. It’s a brief and gentle hug but it’s more affection than Sans had ever gotten from another monster.

Edge releases Sans and stands to his full height. Sans is looking at the ground, perhaps to delay the fear that when he looks up Edge will be gone.

Edge’s fists clench, his soul strains with the urge to return to his time but also… He wants to take them with him. He wishes he could simply remove them from this stars-forsaken place and take them home. He wants them to grow up safe and warm and lavished in every deserving thing a child could ever want or need. He wishes he could take away the hurt Sans feels. His despair and apathy evident after so many years of surviving and suffering. Edge wishes he could change it.

But that would prevent them from becoming who they are now.

“Sans.”

Edge locks eyelights with his brothers younger, unbroken self.

“You’re a good big brother, Sans. Never forget it. And… Your little brother will always love you no matter what happens.”

Sans looks up to face his brother’s future; if everything really did happen like he said, and they reach the surface, they get to live without being scared, and Papyrus grows up to be strong and smart and resilient. Sans thinks it will all be okay in the end. He is filled with… Hope.

Sans smiles.

Edge smiles.

Babybones Pap coos happily against his brother’s hand.

The wind howls above them. Edge begins to turn, prepared to make his way back to the road-

 

The world falls away to darkness.

 

* * *

 

Edge wakes to cold concrete beneath his bones. Ugh that’s going to be sore.

“-ap!”

Edge groans. What-?

“pap!!!” Someone yells into his face. Who the fuck.

“Uhhgh… Fuckin...g… Stop yelling dumbass I’m right here.” Edge’s voice feels dry and his bones feel cold.

“papyrus! oh stars. oh thank you. stars i- i thought you were- i thought-” Red fretted over Edge as he got picked up off the ground by several pairs of hands.

“Hey Uh, Edgelord. How Long Were You Gone?” Stretch inquired, looking between Edge and Classic.

“Ugh can’t these questions wait? I must have been gone for… An hour and a half?” Edge shakes the soreness from his bones. It should only take a few minutes to get back to feeling himself.

“Shit. That’s An Unexpected Variable…”

“dude… you were gone for _five hours._ you didn’t use the return device and we had no idea what was going on. red nearly had a soul-attack and he fucked up my couch with his fuckin claws-” Classic’s rant fades out into discontent mumbles.

Red stepped back from Edge to search his face.

“papyrus… w-what were ya doin all a’ that time?” Red tried to grin casually, but his worry breaks through clear as day. Edge remembered the way his brother, far too young, had clutched protectively to the bundle of bones in a red scarf.

“I- was just… Visiting our old home… Reliving old memories. You know, sentimental ilk and the like.” Edge huffed. It was a lie, and normally Red might see through it. But right now, he didn’t appear to care. Red relaxed and his sockets looked tired. Red obviously needed comforting, and who else could deliver such care besides his greatest and most terrible little brother?

Across the room, Classic caught Edges gaze for just a moment, giving him a knowing look. Edge supposes Classic would want to know about the details at a later date.

“Come on brother… I think… I’m actually feeling a little tired. I’m going to lay down for a while.” Edge placed an arm around his brother, gently guiding him upstairs.

“heh… don’t worry pap. i’ll take care of ya.” Red says in between a yawn.

“I believe you.”

 

* * *

 

Weeks passed, and Life returned to normal. The sun shone, and the rain fell. The surface continuously offered new challenges and adventure every day. Edge hums to himself while making their morning breakfast. Oatmeal and scrambled eggs. Complimentary dinosaur eggs and ketchup packets respectively.

Red plodded into the kitchen and scraped the chair against the floor as he sat down. Edge cringed but failed to feel enough anger to call Red out for his laziness.

The morning silence stretched on intercepted only by the sounds quiet snoring from Red.

Edge turns to his brother, searching Red’s face for signs of another nightmare-heavy night battling ptsd.

Red looked worse for wear, as usual. But something stuck out to Edge as he performed a check on red’s stats.

Did Sans always have 2HP?

Something in Papyrus’ memory says no, Sans wasn’t always this hopeful.

Something even deeper down in his soul tells him that it was always there, two points of hope shining bright against the world.

**Author's Note:**

> This work is un-beta'd.  
> Feedback is welcome!


End file.
